there is a route that comes through these areas, coming from pakistan into afghanistan. most of them are used for commerce. and this goes farther into the larger cities. but they also use this to bring in a equipment to tackle the coalition forces. this is the biggest city in the area, with the most local populace. this is a center for trade and commerce in the area. and these provinces where nato has not had much of a presence until quite recently, these are the border provinces that only began getting a large number of troops in the past year. the population is not very friendly to the coalition. so the population will harbor fighters for the taliban, and they will hold weapons for them and are aware of taliban movements. the approach for this province is to target, in a sense, the civilian populations. not with violence, but when they need intelligence -- you have to visit houses. you have to march out to where they are concentrated, to start knocking on doors, demanding to be let in. they will break the door down. but you knock on the door, trying to be as friendly a